Userbase
Web and SaaS
backend as a service
SHOW HN2020
206points
93comments
#266of 3,028 in 2020
Top 9%of 2020 by points
How HN took it
MixedNo clear lean
15 positive, 28 neutral or asking, 4 mixed, 22 critical, out of 69 comments about the project. Thread score -0.18.
Idea: 6 for, 8 againstPrivacy: 5 for, 6 againstDesign: 0 for, 6 againstExecution: 0 for, 1 againstPricing: 0 for, 1 against
The thread, comment by comment
Each row is a top-level comment and its replies, in HN's order. Select a cell to open that comment on HN.
positive neutral or mixed critical about another commenter or something else the maker
What HN said
What people liked
Privacy-focused design with end-to-end encryption
From 2 comments
Wow, that's exactly what I needed. I see a lot of comments challenging the founder's choice on the trade-off "e2e encryption vs users losing their passwords", so I will explain…
soneca on HNWow, this is fortuitous for me. I've been wanting something like this for quite some time, and was literally just thinking about it this morning. I've had a lot of ideas for…
naiyt on HN
Simple SDK and predictable pricing
From 2 comments
It is. Main differences: - User data is end-to-end encrypted. - Super simple SDK. - Predictable pricing. (You won't need a cost calculator.) - 100% open source, MIT licensed.
DVassallo on HNMain differences: - An end-to-end encrypted database. - Super simple SDK. - 100% open source, MIT licensed. Both the backend and SDK.
DVassallo on HN
Open source under MIT license
From 2 comments
Main differences: - An end-to-end encrypted database. - Super simple SDK. - 100% open source, MIT licensed. Both the backend and SDK.
DVassallo on HNWanted it to be open, no strings attached. The business comes from providing high-quality hosting and (eventually) pro services (support for accepting payments, etc).
DVassallo on HN
Objections
No password reset: losing the password means losing data
From 3 comments
From the FAQ: What happens if a user forgets the password? Users should always keep a copy of their password in a safe place, such as a password manager. Since the encryption key…
paublyrne on HNIf your product is SAAS aimed at helping to add authentication to simple apps with low lift, then I think it's a real problem. If I use this product in my product and my customer…
paublyrne on HNI think the problem is that there might not be too much overlap between projects so simple that developers would completely outsource user accounts and data management, and…
oefrha on HN
Cryptography uses a dated 2048-bit Diffie-Hellman group rather than modern primitives
From 1 comment
I took a cursory look at the crypto on the backend, and it was mildly concerning. It appears to not be using modern asymmetric primitives. At first glance, it's not insecure or…
tuxxy on HN
Storing the user key in local storage is risky
From 2 comments
Seriously, why on earth would you even recommend storing a password in plaintext anywhere?
lovetocode on HN>keep the user's key stored in plaintext Nope.
ThePowerOfFuet on HN
Requests
Password reset functionality
From 2 comments
From the FAQ: What happens if a user forgets the password? Users should always keep a copy of their password in a safe place, such as a password manager. Since the encryption key…
paublyrne on HNAgreed. I can definitely see myself using this once password reset is an option. I am sure there are use cases with the existing functionality. Telling users their data will be…
shanecleveland on HN
Social logins such as GitHub and Twitter
From 1 comment
where do social logins like github and twitter rank in your list of priorities? on a more meta level, since you're so open anyway, might want to look into public feature…
swyx on HN
Origin whitelisting to prevent phishing
From 1 comment
congratulations on the launch! are there any checks done on the backend to guarantee that the website using the "init(appId)" call is the right one? The attack vector here is a…
persona on HN
Questions
How does it differ from Auth0, Parse or Firebase?
From 2 comments
What are the differences between this product and Auth0? Why would a dev choose one over the other? Do they target different developers / stacks. Or are they both vying for the…
adamlangsner on HNI guess this is similar to Parse or Firebase?
quickthrower2 on HN
How is client-side password hashing done and how does it compare to SRP?
From 1 comment
> we hash passwords client-side Is that instead of or in addition to any hashing done on the server? It seems like doing all hashing on the client side essentially means that you…
giaour on HN
Alternatives named
Auth0
From 1 comment
What are the differences between this product and Auth0? Why would a dev choose one over the other? Do they target different developers / stacks. Or are they both vying for the…
adamlangsner on HN
Parse or Firebase
From 1 comment
I guess this is similar to Parse or Firebase?
quickthrower2 on HN
Netlify Identity
From 1 comment
Wow, that's exactly what I needed. I see a lot of comments challenging the founder's choice on the trade-off "e2e encryption vs users losing their passwords", so I will explain…
soneca on HN
remoteStorage
From 1 comment
There's a protocol for this and it's called remoteStorage[0]. It has a JavaScript implementation that just works and different compatible servers, plus anyone can run its own.…
fiatjaf on HN